FR2688762A1 - Container obturating device with tamper indicator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an obturating device for a container of the type comprising a stopper provided with a manual control device for opening and closing the said container by the said stopper, characterised in that it comprises a tamper indicator (5) capable of being acted upon by the said manual control device so that it moves definitively from a first housing into a second housing during the first action on the said control device tending to open the container.

Description

DEVICE FOR SEALING A CONTAINER
A witness to inviolability
The present invention relates to a device for closing a container of the type comprising a plug provided with a manual control member for opening and closing the container.

 It applies more particularly to bottle-type containers for which it is desired to guarantee during a first opening that the container has not been previously opened.

 The invention is of particular interest for containers made available in self-service where it is desired to allow the buyer to check that the container has not been opened and / or for containers containing products whose preservation is altered as soon as the container is opened for the first time and where we want to allow the user to check that the stored container has never been opened since the packaging of the product it contains.

 The solutions currently proposed are to provide either for containers whose neck is closed by a screw cap, a frangible attachment ring at the neck broken separately or concomitantly with the first opening, or a frangible closing tab incorporated at the neck and to be removed later, or, for containers whose neck is closed by an extraction cap, a film constituting an overcap to be removed beforehand.

 These solutions have the particular disadvantage that the user must most of the time make the first opening in two stages, before being able to dispose of the product.

 In addition, for systems where the means of observing the integrity is a piece independent of the stopper, such as for example a frangible tab incorporated in the neck or a film constituting an overcap, this requires a stopper in two stages when packaging the product.

 In addition, and especially for containers where the first opening is made in a single operation which fractures a connection between a screw cap and a fastening ring maintained under a redent outside the neck, it is sometimes difficult to be able to note clearly the integrity of the shutter.

 The present invention aims to propose a sealing device which allows the user to easily observe its integrity at a glance and which is simple to implement when packaging the product, requiring only united single operation.

 According to its main characteristic, the present invention relates to a device for closing a container of the type comprising a stopper provided with a manual control member for opening and closing of said container by said stopper, characterized in that it comprises a witness inviolability suitable for being requested by said manual control member to move definitively from a first housing to a second housing during a first action on said control member tending to open the container.

 A tamper-evident witness is therefore advantageously integrated into the closure device and the finding of rape of the blockage is observed by the visibility or not of the witness from the outside.

 This indicator advantageously consists of an elastic ring forming an open ring and constrained in the separated position when it is in said first housing which is intended for it.

 In order to facilitate the observation of the integrity of the stopper, the witness is advantageously of a different color to that of the walls of the housing in which it is visible.

 Said manual control member advantageously essentially consists of an annular ring, capable of receiving at least one head of said plug and of a cover provided with at least one opening opening at least partially to view one of said housings intended for said witness of inviolability.

 The passage of the indicator from the first housing to the second housing is effected by a vertical displacement of the rod around the cap head under the effect of a vertical displacement of the control member relative to this head, and the visibility of the witness is linked to a horizontal displacement of the rod, in front of a window formed by the light arranged in the cover, under the effect of an elastic return towards its position of stability which is the closed position. This horizontal displacement also contributes to making final the passage of the witness from the first to the second housing.

 Depending on the indication to be given to the witness, the window or light on the cover is arranged opposite, either the first housing or the second housing.

 In the first case, the sight of the witness indicates that the blockage is intact and in the second case, the sight of the witness indicates that the blockage has been violated.

 The viewing window can be full and allow to see the entire circumference of the rod or be partial and only allow to view a section of this circumference.

 It is generally preferable to provide an annular light to ensure maximum and rapid visibility of the witness by the user. However, in particular in the case where the material used for the manufacture of the cover makes it difficult to provide a complete annular lumen, for example for reasons of mechanical strength, the fact of using an annular rod makes it possible to have no positioning difficulties. partial light during the manufacture of the device.

 The opening of the cover is advantageously preferably closed off with a transparent material which makes it possible to protect the interior of the device without impairing visibility through the window.

To allow the movement of the control member relative to the stopper during a first opening without this operation being sensitive for the user and to preserve during recapping the usual feeling given by the conventional arrangements
Said annular crown advantageously comprises, on an internal face, a first shoulder directed inwards and defining with an internal face of said cover said first housing for the tamper-evident indicator, and a second shoulder, directed inwards, and able to cooperate with a first shoulder of said cap head to constitute a first stop for longitudinal movement of the control member relative to the head in the direction tending to open the container.

 the device advantageously comprises means suitable for constituting a second stop for longitudinal movement of the control member with respect to the head in the direction tending to close the container, said second stop means preferably being constituted by the internal face of said cover of the control member adapted to cooperate, either with an upper face of said head when said tamper-evident indicator is in said first housing, or with an upper face of said witness when the latter is in said second housing.

 The second longitudinal abutment means provided in the internal face of the cover are preferably produced by means of an annular protuberance at least partially opposite the second housing, this protuberance constituting, by its face opposite the rod, abutment surface against the latter when it is in the second housing, and limiting by its internal contour a groove the bottom of which constitutes an abutment surface for the upper face of the plug head when the indicator is in the first housing.

 The cap head advantageously comprises a second upper shoulder defining with the internal face of the cover of the control member more precisely at its protuberance, the second housing for said tamper-evident witness.

 The different shoulders defined above for the control member and the plug head define changes in section of these elements.

 The assembly of the various components of the device is particularly simple and is carried out as follows.

 The cap head, associated with a cap body sealing at the level of a neck of the container as will be seen below, is engaged from above in the annular ring of the control member, then the rod is positioned by spacing constraint in the first housing and the cover of the control member is attached to close everything.

 To facilitate the positioning of the rod, in its first housing and of the plug head relative to the control member, it is advantageously provided that the plug head comprises, opposite the first shoulder of the control member in the position initial, a third shoulder contributing to the delimitation of the first housing.

 In a first application of the device according to the invention to caps of the type forcibly engaged in a neck of a container, the device advantageously comprises a cap body, of generally cylindrical shape, and intended to close the neck by force engagement in this last ; and the plug head then has in its inner face means for centering and fixing the plug body to the head.

 The plug body may be made of cork, plastic, or any other material capable of ensuring sealing by force engagement, regardless of the material (s) chosen to make the rest of the device.

 In this application, it is advantageously provided that the plug head and the crown comprise means capable of cooperating, to allow the rotation of the crown around the head as long as the witness is in the first housing, and to, on the other hand, prevent such a rotation when the witness is in the second housing. These means thus also make it possible to avoid an involuntary passage of the witness from the first to the second housing, insofar as as long as a characterized action of traction on the control member is not carried out, this is free to rotate around of the cap head.

 In a second application of the device according to the invention to caps of the type screwed onto a neck of a container, the device advantageously comprises a cap body intended to close a neck of the container by pressing on the edge of the neck under the effect screwing said plug onto said neck.

 In this case, said plug head has an internal axial cylindrical recess provided on its internal peripheral face with a helical groove, constituting a first thread suitable for cooperating with a thread of opposite shape formed in the external wall of said neck ; and on its external peripheral face a second thread suitable for cooperating with a screw thread of opposite shape formed in the internal peripheral face of said annular ring preferably below said first shoulder of the latter.

 The cap body preferably consists of a disc forming a seal housed in the bottom of said recess in the cap head. However, it is equally possible to provide that the bottom of this recess, if it is made of an appropriate material, constitutes in itself the seal and therefore the plug body.

 The various constituent elements of the device according to the invention and in particular the plug head, the annular ring and the cover of the manual control member are produced from plastic moldings.

We will now describe in more detail two particular embodiments of the invention which will make them better understand the essential characteristics and the advantages, it being understood however that these embodiments are chosen by way of example and that they are in no way limiting . Their description is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which
- Figures 1A to 1D show in exploded view and in longitudinal section, a first embodiment of a device according to the invention
- Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a device such as that shown in Figure 1, in the operating position before a first opening of the container
- Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a device such as that shown in Figure 1, in the operating position after a first opening of the container.

- Figures 4A to 4D show in exploded view and in longitudinal section, a second embodiment of a device according to the invention;
- Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a device such as that shown in Figure 4, in the operating position before a first opening of the container; and
- Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a device such as that shown in Figure 4, in the operating position after a first opening of the container.

 In the following description, the same elements have been designated by the same references in the different figures for the sake of clarity.

 The device as shown in Figures 1 to 3 is intended for closing a container by force engagement of a plug in a neck of the container.

 This device comprises a plug consisting of a head 1 and of a body 2 intended to be force-fitted into a neck of the container (not shown), and provided with a manual control member consisting of an annular crown 3 and of a cover 4. I1 further comprises an elastic ring 5 forming an open ring and constituting a tamper-evident indicator.

The assembly of the device as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1D is carried out as follows
The assembly consisting of the head 1 and the body 2 is engaged in the annular ring 3 by its upper opening until a first shoulder 6 of the internal face of the ring 3 directed inwards is opposite 'a third shoulder 7 of the head 1 directed outwards. This third shoulder 7 of the head 1 is optional but can help the relative positioning of the head and the crown during this first assembly step. To be held in this position until the end of assembly of the device, the crown 3 and the head 1 or the body 2 of the plug preferably rest on a base (not shown) shaped to give this relative positioning.

 The body 2 of the stopper is here made of cork but may as well be made of any other material suitable for sealing by force engagement in the neck of a container.

 The cylindrical body 2 comprises, in its upper face, a first blind well intended to be forcibly engaged in an axial finger 8 projecting from the bottom 9 of a second blind well 10, which second well 10 forms the lower face of the head 1 and constitutes the means for centering and fixing the body 2 in the head 1 by defining a housing for the upper part of the body 2. The fixing of the body 2 in the head 1 can also be completed by bonding its upper part in said second blind well 10.

 The rod 5 is then constrained-by spacing in a first housing 11, currently open, and delimited by the first shoulder 6 of the crown 3. The elastic return forces of the rod 5 lead to the latter enclosing the wall external of the head 1 in its part 12 opposite this shoulder 6 while also resting here partially on the third shoulder 7 of the head 1.

 Finally, the cover 4 is affixed at the closure of the assembly and closes by its internal face 13 the first housing 11 for the rod 5. The positioning of the cover 4 can be facilitated by providing in the internal face of the crown 3 a third shoulder 14 constituting bearing surface for a peripheral rim 15 of the cover 4. Furthermore, the upper face 16 of the head 1 constitutes, by engaging in a groove 17 of the internal face 13 of the cover 4 limited by an annular protuberance 18 of this internal face, bearing surface for a central part 19 of the internal face 12 of the cover 4. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the groove 17 is of annular shape and the upper face 16 of the head 1 is constituted in its central part by a recess 20 of depth equal to the depth of the groove 17.

 The device thus assembled (Figure 3) is ready for use to seal a neck of a container. It further comprises a second housing 21 for the rod 5 delimited by a second upper shoulder 22 of the head 1 and in this position by the annular protuberance 18 of the cover 4.

 When the container is opened for the first time by pulling on the device, by taking hold of the crown 3, the latter slides axially around the head 1, vertically driving the rod 5 until 'a second shoulder 23 of the internal face of the crown 3 and directed inwards comes into abutment against a first external peripheral shoulder 24 of the head 1. The rod 5 driven vertically by the crown 3 by means of its first shoulder 6 takes place definitively by horizontal tightening under the effect of its restoring force in the second housing 21 whose volume has been released by the vertical movement of the cover 4 relative to the head 1 under the effect of the movement of the crown 3.

 The device is then in the position as shown in Figure 2 called use, in which it then remains permanently during the subsequent openings / closings of the container.

 The tamper-evident indicator constituted by the rod 5 is visible in this position from the outside through an annular lumen 25 made of transparent material of the cover 4 formed vertically from the second housing 21, while in the position as shown in the figure 3, it is invisible from the outside.

 The appearance of the witness therefore indicates here that the container has already been opened. Provision can also be made to provide transparent light vertically to the first housing, in which case the visibility of the witness would indicate that the container has not been opened since the packaging of the product it contains.

 To avoid an involuntary passage of the indicator in the second housing and to assure the user the sensation of a conventional plug in the use position, the head 1 has an external projection 26 on the middle part of vertical grooves 27, and the annular ring 3 has in the lower part 28 of an internal section 29 limited by the first 6 and the second 23 shoulder of its internal face of the vertical blind grooves 30. These grooves 27 and grooves 30 constitute means suitable for cooperating to allow the rotation of the crown 3 around the head 1 as long as the rod 5 is in the first housing 11, and to, on the other hand, prevent this rotation when the rod 5 is in the second housing 21 and therefore when the device is in position of use.

 When the device is in the position shown in Figure 3, the grooves 27 of the part 26 of the head 1 are opposite the smooth upper part 31 of the internal section 29 of the crown 3 and do not oppose the rotation of the head 1 in the crown 3. But when the device is in the position shown in FIG. 2, these grooves 27 are engaged in the blind grooves 30 of the lower part 28 of the internal section 29 and the rotation of the head 1 in the crown 3 is then no longer possible.

 The enlarged details of Figures 1C and 1D illustrate these means, the detail of Figure 1C being seen from above.

 Once in the position of use, not only the rotational movements of the head 1 relative to the crown 3 are prevented but also the translational movements. Indeed, the rod 5 then partially forms a bearing surface for the annular protuberance 18 of the cover, preventing the crown 3 from going down relative to the head 1, and the support between the second shoulder 23 of the crown 3 and the first shoulder 24 of the head 1 prevents the crown 3 from rising up relative to the head 1.

 Finally, to facilitate its attachment to the crown 3, the cover 4 has an annular tooth 32 projecting from its peripheral rim 15 as illustrated in the detail in FIG. 1A.

 The device according to the invention provided for its application to caps of the screw type on the neck 33 of a container 34 is shown in Figures 4 to 6. For the elements common to the two embodiments, reference will be made to the description Figures 1 to 3 above.

 The device in FIGS. 4 to 6 differs mainly from the previous device in that the vertical movement of the crown 3 'relative to the head 1' is obtained under the effect of a rotation of the crown 3 'relative to the head 1 'by means of two threads cooperating with each other.

 Sealing with the neck 33 is ensured either directly by the bottom of the blind well 10 ', or as shown, by means of a disc 35 forming a seal, introduced into a housing 36 provided for this purpose in the bottom of the blind well 10 '.

 The blind well 10 ′, constituting an internal axial cylindrical recess of the head 1 ′, comprises here in its internal peripheral face, a first thread 37 consisting of a helical groove capable of cooperating with a thread of opposite shape formed in the external wall of the neck 33.

 The head 1 ′ of the plug comprises on the external peripheral face and below the first shoulder 24 of the head, a second thread 38 suitable for cooperating with a thread 39 of opposite shape formed in the internal peripheral face of the crown 3 'below its second shoulder 23, to allow the final passage of the rod 5 from the first housing 11 to the second housing 21, by transforming a rotational movement in unscrewing the crown 3' into a movement of raising it relative to the head 1 ′ during a first opening.

 When the stop constituted by the first shoulder 24 of the head 1 'and the second shoulder 23 of the crown 3' is reached, the continued unscrewing has the effect of unscrewing the head 1 'of the neck 33.

 Once the rod 5 is in the second housing 21 (FIG. 5), the longitudinal stops which are the same as in the first embodiment prevent any translational movement between the head 1 'and the crown 3' so that all screwing / unscrewing action acts directly on the thread of the neck 33.

 When the device is placed in the position shown in FIG. 6 during the packaging of the product, the device is screwed onto the neck 33 in a conventional manner without the risk of triggering the final passage of the rod 5 in the second housing , passage which is triggered only during a first unscrewing action.

 In the two embodiments, the crown 3 or 3 ′, the head 1 or 1 ′, and the cover 4 are preferably made of plastic, the head and the crown preferably being of the same color and the ring 5 being of a color that stands out clearly compared to the colors of the crown head and the cover.

 Naturally, the invention is in no way limited by the features which have been specified in the foregoing or by the details of the particular embodiments chosen to illustrate the invention. All kinds of variations can be made to the particular embodiments which have been described by way of examples and to their constituent elements without thereby departing from the scope of the invention. The latter thus includes all the means constituting technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations.

Claims (18)

 1 / device for closing a container of the type comprising a stopper provided with a manual control member for opening and closing said container by said stopper, characterized in that it comprises a tamper-evident indicator (5) suitable for be urged by said manual control member to move definitively from a first housing (11) to a second housing (21) during a first action on said control member tending to open the container.  2 / Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said tamper-evident witness consists of an elastic ring (5), forming an open ring and constrained in the separated position when it is in said first housing (11).  3 / Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said indicator (5) is of a different color from the color of the walls of the housing (11; 21) in which it is visible from the outside.  4 / Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said manual control member essentially consists of an annular ring (3; 3 ') suitable for receiving at least one head (1; 1') said plug, and a cover (4) provided with at least one light (25) opening at least partially to view one of said housings (11; 21) intended for said tamper-evident witness (5).  5 / Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said light (25) of the cover (4) is formed opposite said first housing (11) intended for the tamper-evident indicator (5).  6 / Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said light (25) of the cover (4) is formed opposite said second housing (21) intended for the tamper-evident indicator (5).  7 / Device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that said light (25) of the cover (4) is closed by a transparent material.  8 / Device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that said annular ring (3; 3 ') comprises, on an internal face, a first shoulder (6), directed inwards and defining with a internal face (18) of said cover (4) said first housing (11) for said tamper-evident indicator (5), and a second shoulder (23), directed inward and adapted to cooperate with a first shoulder (7) of said cap head (1; 1 ') to constitute a first stop for longitudinal movement of the control member with respect to said head (1; 1') in the direction tending to the opening of the container.  9 / Device according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that it comprises means suitable for constituting a second stop of longitudinal movement of the control member relative to said head (1; 1 ') in the direction tending to close the container; said second stop means preferably being constituted by the internal face (13) of said cover (4) of the control member, suitable for cooperating either with an upper face (19) of said head (1; 1 ') when said tamper-evident witness (5) is in said first housing (11), or with an upper face of said witness (5) when the latter is in said second housing (21).  10 / Device according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that said plug head (1; 1 ') has a second upper shoulder (22) defining, with the internal face (18) of said cover (4) of the control member, said second housing (21) for said tamper-evident witness (5).  11 / Device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises a plug body (2) intended to close a neck of the container by force engagement in this neck.  12 / Device according to claim 11, characterized in that said plug head (1) comprises in its inner face means for centering and fixing (8, 10) of said plug body (2) to said head (1).  13 / Device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that said plug head (1) and said annular crown (3) comprise means suitable for cooperating to allow the rotation of said crown (3) around said head (1 ) as long as said indicator (5) is in said first housing (11), and to, on the other hand, prevent such rotation when said indicator (5) is in said second housing (21).  14 / Device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises a cap body (35) intended to close a neck (33) of the container (34), by pressing on the edge of the neck ( 33) under the effect of a screwing of said plug on said neck (33).  15 / Device according to claim 14, characterized in that said plug head (1 ') has an internal axial cylindrical recess (10'), provided on its inner peripheral face with a helical groove constituting a first pitch of screw (37 ) suitable for cooperating with a thread of opposite shape formed in the external wall of said neck (33).  16 / Device according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that said plug head (1 ') has on its external peripheral face a second thread (38), adapted to cooperate with a thread of opposite shape (39 ), formed in the inner peripheral face of said annular ring (3 '), preferably below said first shoulder (6) of the latter.  17 / Device according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that said plug body consists of a disc (35) forming a seal, housed in the bottom of said recess (10 ') of said head plug (1 ').  18 / Device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that said plug head (1; 1 '), said annular ring (3; 3') and said cover (4) of the control member manual are made from plastic moldings.